In what ways are data not neutral?
- different questions generate different data
- different categories produce different answers and potentially different results
- categories aren’t always applicable
- data may be incorrect if information isn’t entered or isn’t correct due to individual perceptions
- application of data can be biased depending on people making decisions
- understanding of questions / data may change
Some data are neutral?
- the number of people (caveat people used to be counted differently)
- income
What comes out of the census
- see changes in uninsured population
- we can guess the increase in insured is due to Obamacare
- increase in household income
- generally the census gives us lots of data over a long time
- see variation among states and within states
- see a different picture by state than comparing within
- how institutions are utilized
- understanding usage helps decide funding
- median income differs among cities and compared to rural
- can hypothesize a reason (more data from the census on employment would help)